Re: Illinois Status Checker - AA Debate

I wish I were a URM, then perhaps with my numbers I would have a shot at U of I. I do believe that the letters from U of I that just went out are all rejections, perhaps a few acceptances. Up to now, the acceptances have all been early application candidates. They formed a pile of auto rejects - floating 'turds' if you will, and waited until New Years week to send them out to give the appearance that they gave the files proper consideration. It is a numbers game folks, period. Only three things matter, and when they look at the files they ask three questions. GPA, LSAT score, URM. Contrary to what these schools profess, they apply strict cutoffs and automatically reject those outside the lines, unless they are a URM. In that case, they just lower the cutoff lines. All that BS about reading your essays, caring what your career goals are, military experience, work history etc. doesn't matter one bit unless you are right on the margin. These cutoffs are evident by analyzing LSN, and anyone clearly outside of them - like I was at UofI - should just not bother applying.

I wish I were a URM, then perhaps with my numbers I would have a shot at U of I. I do believe that the letters from U of I that just went out are all rejections, perhaps a few acceptances. Up to now, the acceptances have all been early application candidates. They formed a pile of auto rejects - floating 'turds' if you will, and waited until New Years week to send them out to give the appearance that they gave the files proper consideration. It is a numbers game folks, period. Only three things matter, and when they look at the files they ask three questions. GPA, LSAT score, URM. Contrary to what these schools profess, they apply strict cutoffs and automatically reject those outside the lines, unless they are a URM. In that case, they just lower the cutoff lines. All that BS about reading your essays, caring what your career goals are, military experience, work history etc. doesn't matter one bit unless you are right on the margin. These cutoffs are evident by analyzing LSN, and anyone clearly outside of them - like I was at UofI - should just not bother applying.

Sad but true, though. Check out LSN...the ONLY people admitted with numbers outside of the median were those who identified themselves as a URM...I don't mean to be a flame here, but I think it's ridiculous to be admitted solely because you were born non-white...it's quite unfair when we've all worked the same to get the LSAT and GPA numbers that we did...

Sad but true, though. Check out LSN...the ONLY people admitted with numbers outside of the median were those who identified themselves as a URM...I don't mean to be a flame here, but I think it's ridiculous to be admitted solely because you were born non-white...it's quite unfair when we've all worked the same to get our LSAT and GPA numbers...

Well, LSN only shows a small percentage of the applicants, so it really isn't good evidence of anything.

Sad but true, though. Check out LSN...the ONLY people admitted with numbers outside of the median were those who identified themselves as a URM...I don't mean to be a flame here, but I think it's ridiculous to be admitted solely because you were born non-white...it's quite unfair when we've all worked the same to get the LSAT and GPA numbers that we did...

I'm not a URM and I got into Penn with a 162. There's a similar applicant (number/non-URM wise) who got into Michigan. Clearly your theory isn't the case for ALL law schools. And LSN isn't representative of the applicant pool.

Maybe the reason you weren't accepted has more to do with your attitude of "entitlement" than the fact that you were so burdened to be born white.

Sad but true, though. Check out LSN...the ONLY people admitted with numbers outside of the median were those who identified themselves as a URM...I don't mean to be a flame here, but I think it's ridiculous to be admitted solely because you were born non-white...it's quite unfair when we've all worked the same to get the LSAT and GPA numbers that we did...

I'm not a URM and I got into Penn with a 162. There's a similar applicant (number/non-URM wise) who got into Michigan. Clearly your theory isn't the case for ALL law schools. And LSN isn't representative of the applicant pool.

Maybe the reason you weren't accepted has more to do with your attitude of "entitlement" than the fact that you were so burdened to be born white.

I know of many people in the same situations, just not at UIUC. I didn't feel like it was worth my time to look into it too much, because I just don't think it's an issue.

Personal attacks aside, unfortunately I am proven right by the numbers and even the policies professed by law schools. To be honest with you, I would feel conflicted if I were an admitted URM - especially if I had sub par numbers compared to the school's other admitees - knowing that my admissions decision was decided by my race. You can look to a school like Loyola in Chicago and see many URMs admitted in the high 140s. Non URM admits tend to start in the mid to high 150s.

Personal attacks aside, unfortunately I am proven right by the numbers and even the policies professed by law schools. To be honest with you, I would feel conflicted if I were an admitted URM - especially if I had sub par numbers compared to the school's other admitees - knowing that my admissions decision was decided by my race. You can look to a school like Loyola in Chicago and see many URMs admitted in the high 140s. Non URM admits tend to start in the mid to high 150s.

Highly influenced and often decided, per policy. Highly as in a 5-7 pt. LSAT number bump compared to an equally qualified white applicant at most schools, solely based on race. Nearly all admissions decisions are determined by LSAT and GPA, with some minor variance. When an admissions office decides to lower the bottom number for acceptances by 5-7 points for a URM, the applicant's race has in fact 'decided' the admission, not merely influenced it. Want to get in to Loyola Chicago with a 149 LSAT, or Denver with a 149 LSAT? You can if you are a URM, but have almost no chance if you are a non-URM. Decision = decided, not influenced by race.